Meeting on 71 Freeway widening Monday

Residents living along the path of the 71 Freeway are invited to attend a meeting on the widening of the 71 between the 10 and 60 freeways.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Westmont Community Center, 1808 W. Ninth St.

A full presentation on the widening proposals will be offered and will be followed by a question and answer session, said Ati Eskandari, Pomona city engineer.

Responses to concerns and questions presented by residents during an open house conducted last month on the widening will be presented, she said.

Three project alternatives will be presented to residents, she said.

The city, Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority are all working together to move up the widening of the 71 from the current four-lane expressway to a full eight-lane freeway by several years.

Current plans call for starting the widening in 2023 and completing the project by 2030. If the city and the two agencies are successful that date could move up.

The agencies are working to update plans, environmental studies and complete financial analysis with the goal of competing for funding for the widening project which would be completed as part of a public-private partnership.